Mistakes
by ikeahp67
Summary: One chaotic night, a few stupid mistakes, and your year at Hogwarts changes forever.  Based off of the Lily and James section of my mini-series 'Slughorn's Party'.
1. Embarkation and Humiliation

here is the first chapter of my new story - Mistakes, based off of the 'Lily and James' section of my 'Slughorn's Party' mini-series.

just a short one to start but there;s more in store.

_Do not own! (lol, twilight reference embeded somewhere [i dare you to find it]_

**(For those reading this who have already read it but are now reading it again because i changed it, this is simply the previous first two chapters together as one)**

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Chapter One – Embarkation and Humiliation

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep…

"Silencio" A half-asleep voice cried from under a mountain of sheets. Lily looked out the window that was directly opposite her bed. Lily always hated her mum for putting her bed where it was, the sun practically blinded Lily every morning when she woke up. Lily begged her mum to change her room around but even when she moved it around herself her mum just came around and changed it back.

It was 7:00 on the 1st of September and Lily's alarm was trying to remind her that in less than 4 hours she would be leaving her quaint little, peaceful, normal neighbourhood and getting on a magically enchanted train leaving from a secret platform at Kings Cross Station, that you get to from running through a seemingly solid brick wall no less, that brings almost 300 witches and wizards to attend a magical school in a magnificent castle hidden somewhere in the Scotland, where Lily will begin her 7th and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Lily? Are you up yet? You need to get up! You haven't even finished packing yet! Come on, Get Up!" Lily's mother berated her, climbing the staircase that separated her bedroom from the rest of the house.

"Mum, I'm up!" Lily insisted, though she was still considering going back to sleep, at most for another hour or so then waking up later, she could always just magically pack her trunk, her mother wouldn't know the difference, but her parents really didn't want Lily to use unnecessary magic around the house; it freaked Petunia out a little. She didn't like to be 'constantly reminded that her sister is a complete freak', or so she said.

Lily's mum, Catherine, had reached Lily's mezzanine-like floor and started rapping on her door. "Lily, if you don't get down to breakfast in the next 10 minutes I'm coming in to get you!" she warned through the double locked-cupboard barriered-magically sealed door Lily used to ensure her privacy.

"Eugh! Mum, I'm up! I'll be down soon."

Lily looked around her room; the furthest she had gotten in regards to packing was arranging her homework to make sure she'd done it all and hadn't forgotten any key textbooks or vital essays and the back of a draw in her desk; but socks? Pjs? Underwear? Still in the draw.

Lily looked from the full draws to the empty trunk beside her bed and back again.

"Screw it." Lily decided, Lily whipped her wand out from under the pillow, where she kept it very single night, "Pack" she commanded her belongings. At once her clothes and books and personal effects all rose off the ground, out of draws and from inside cupboards and folded neatly into her trunk. "Packing: done."

Lily apparated down to the kitchen to get some breakfast before she got dressed and brought all her stuff downstairs, Petunia was waiting.

"Can't you do that freak thing somewhere else?" She asked rudely,

"Good morning to you too Petunia, lovely day isn't it? Isn't the weather superb?" Lily replied sarcastically. Lily went straight over to the toaster and proceeded to make her traditional start-of-school-year breakfast: one piece of toast with jam and a glass of orange juice.

"Lily, are you sure you don't want anything else?" Catherine asked concerned for her youngest daughter's well being.

"Mum! I've told you the same thing for the past six years! The start of term/Sorting banquet is always huge and everyone always over-eats on the train ride there. "Trust me, I'm fine!" She reassured her worried mother. "It's all I need."

Lily sat down next to Petunia who immediately got up to sit somewhere else. After nearly 8 years of this sort of behaviour, Lily was used to it, but it still bothered her. Why couldn't Petunia juts accept me for me? Lily always found herself asking herself.

One barely filling breakfast, a 'quick' shower that took over half an hour, and a mad dash to the train station at 10:00 later the Evans family were waving goodbye to their youngest daughter for the 7th time as she turned with her trolley filled with her oversized trunk, her owl Hooters in her cage, and her Cleensweep 7 broomstick to walk through the magical barrier to Platform 9 ¾.

"Lily!"

"Lily!"

"LILY!"

Three hyper-energised 17 yr old girl practically tackled Lily to the ground as soon as she stepped through the barrier.

"Alex, Marissa, Alice, I missed you guys!" Lily responded as soon as she could breathe again. "How were your summers?" she asked, determined to settle back in as soon as possible.

"Oh, you know" Alex replied off-handedly, "How was yours" Alex asked, with apparent ulterior motives,

"Why?" Lily asked suspiciously,

"Nothing," Alex replied innocently, "It's just that we heard James payed you a little visit over the summer and we were wondering if anything might have happened, you know." She concluded as all three of them stopped to start eagerly at Lily keenly awaiting her response.

Trust my friends to only think about boys, Lily thought slightly annoyed. James Potter had been asking Lily out non-stop since 5th year and every time she said no, her friends juts grew more and more convinced that she was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

_Twit-too-hoo, twit-too-hoo _

Somewhere off on another part of the platform an owl had broken loose from its cage and started flapping wildly around people's heads.

"Whose owl is that?" Lily asked, laughing and looking over at the people trying to catch the birds and put it back into its cage to be loaded on to the train with the rest of the belongings.

"Isn't that your owl Alice?" Marissa asked

"Oh, Merlin! It is." Alice realised, feeling very humiliated as the owl was retrieved and stuffed back into its cage and then brought over to her to 'keep a better eye on next time'. "How does Pouka keep getting out of his cage?"

"Since when do you have an Owl?" Alex asked,

"And what kind of a name is Pouka?" Lily asked her friend, shaking her head in disbelief.

"It was a reward for doing well in all my subjects last year." Alice defended, "And I like the name Pouka!"

The argument over the stupidity of Alice owl's name was interrupted when Pouka again burst out of her cage and started flying in circles over the top of their heads.

"Oh Merlins Pants!" Alice exclaimed.

Marissa tried to immobilise Pouka with a spell but missed and hit a student instead. He froze in the weirdest crouching position, which caused someone else to trip over him because they weren't looking where they were going and so the cage that they we're holding opened, letting her frog out which then starting jumping around people's feet while she ran frantically after it to trying to retrieve it.

_Welcome to Hogwarts_, Lily thought, _I'm in for an interesting year, I can sense it_.

Lily boarded the train with her friends and made they all made their way down to their usual compartment, running into Gracie and Emma along the way.

"Anything from the trolley?" An old, weak voice called from somewhere down the carriage,

"Anything from the trolley?" Slowly trolling up through the carriages pushing an over-filled trolley of various foods and drinks was the trolley lady.

"Anything from the…"

"Could she be any more annoying?" Gracie asked, clearly frustrated, as she slammed shut the compartment's door shutting inside Lily, Marissa, Gracie, Alex, Alice and Emma, and shutting out the draining voice of the trolley lady. Gracie had joined the foursome shortly after Alex had finally restrained her owl and they had managed to get all four of them, and all four sets of luggage, to the right place; and Emma turned up just as they all arrived at their compartment.

"Sooo…" Alex prompted.

"So what?" Lily responded sitting down opposite her and beside Gracie who had already begun 'preparing herself' for her 'grand entrance' to The Great Hall; where, apparently, she would need to be 'absolutely perfect in order to gain the maximum amount of boy attention possible'. Oh Gracie, what am I going to do with you? Lily thought to herself as she shook her head at her friend.

"You…and James…and you and James, and James and you. Any interesting…developments?" Alex asked excitedly.

"Don't over-excite yourself, nothing happened. He came over and was like: 'Hey Lily how have your holidays been?' and I was like: 'Good until now.' Then I slammed the door in his face."

"That you did my love. That you did."

Lily, Gracie, Alice, Marissa and Alex all turned around to see James Potter, along with his never-seen-without fellow 'Marauders' Remus and Sirius, standing in the compartment door-way.

"And it hurt too, I think you might have broken my nose." James continued, clutching his perfect nose if fake-agony.

"It looks just as ugly as before." Lily retorted, refusing to look at him.

James was now standing in the middle of the compartment directly in front of Lily. Sirius and Remus had move in as well so now with Sirius, James, Remus, Lily, Gracie, Marissa, Alex and Alice all in the one compartment, things were getting a bit; smooshed.

James gasped and clutched his chest as Lily's words, feigning heart-break;

"Lily, my enormous (though extremely well deserved), ego has been crushed by your cruel, cruel words."

"Oh stop it Potter, if anything's changed over the summer it's it that I hate you even more now than I did last year" Lily told him coldly, still looking out the window. When it became apparent that this had not had the desired effect of making James leave, Lily turned to face him: "Just go Potter, you're not welcome here." Lily commanded plainly.

James, Sirius and Remus all turned to leave,

"Oh, Remus, wait!" Gracie called after him, "You can stay if you like," she said seductively, luring him back in. Gracie flipped her hair and batted her eyelids (like she always does) and Remus went into, what is now called the Gracie-induced-coma, and started walking back towards her, entranced and oblivious to the fact that not 1 minute ago even he was trying to leave the room.

Lily stepped in front of Remus, turned him around and directed him back out of the compartment.

"Must you do that?" Lily asked Gracie, "We can't afford anymore, unfortunate, accidents today!"

'Sorry, it's been a dry summer." Gracie shrugged, "I need some action!"

The rest of the inhabitants of the compartment all rolled their eyes in unison. Gracie's boy-crazy ways were no stranger to them, but they much preferred her to spare them the long, detailed recollections of all her summer 'adventures' as she liked to call them. "I was so bored one weekend I actually had to do it myself once, more satisfying sure, but not as fun. If you know what I mean." Gracie winked.

Lily quickly changed the subject to avoid Gracie bringing up any more stories that they really did not want to hear.

"So, everyone do their homework?" Lily asked cheerfully, schoolwork and spells seemed to be the only two things that animated Lily when it came to topics of conversation.

"Lily, come on please!" Alice groaned, "We've only been on this train less than an hour and you already bring up school? Can't you give us even a short break?" Alice had never much liked school, she didn't do well in things where she had to sit still and concentrate for long periods of time.

"Who's excited for Quidditch? I think we've got a real chance this season." Alice asked. Alice had been one of the Gryffindor chasers for the past three years. She wasn't the fastest on the field but she had tremendous determination and great aim. "I'd better start practising as soon as we get there or I probably won't make it back onto the team," Alice began to worry.

"Don't get so stressed!" Marissa said, "You'll do fine! But I'm with Lily; I did hardly any practising on the holidays! What if I go to class and I've forgotten how to do a Bat Bogey Hex!" Marissa stressed out. DADA meant everything to her; she practised jinxes and hexes every day, 'just in case' she very needed them. Like anyone would every try to mess with her, certainly anyone who had net her wouldn't. She's not someone you want to get on the wrong side of; she had a bit of a temper.

"Oh come on! Like you and Daniel haven't been hexing each other all holidays" Alex said disbelieving,

"I'm thinking maybe they were doing something that sounds kind of similar, but carries a much smaller risk of being turned into a bat" Gracie suggested, "then again, you never know what might, spontaneously happen, in the, heat of the moment"

"Subtle, Gracie, very subtle" Marissa stated,

"Well subtlety was never my forte," Gracie agreed, still staring expectantly at Marissa. "Come on Marissa you and Daniel have been going out since third year! You can't expect us to believe you're still a virgin!"

"Gracie!" Alice reprimanded her friend, "It's none of our business what Marissa and Daniel do or don't do in their free time." She said sternly. Gracie and everyone else went silent.

"Oh who are we kidding?" Alice asked herself before turning to Marissa and asking blatantly, "So have you done it yet?"

"Alice!" this time is was Lily's turn to get mad at her friend.

"I will tell you on one condition," Marissa settled, "You do not ask me anything about it for the next…3 days."

"Unacceptable!" Gracie said firmly, "I have to know details!"

"Either wait for the details, or they don't come at all." Marissa re-stated, "I know you want to know, badly."

"Fine." Gracie agreed, "Have you?"

"Yes." Marissa said clearly and without hesitation, "Do you think we should change into our robes now?" Marissa asked completely changing the subject. "I think we might be nearly there," she continued looking over Alice and out the window at the approaching castle."

Gracie just stared at her in slack-jawed amazement.

"I think we should." Marissa decided.

Everyone in the cabin was just sitting in shock. Completely distracted by what Marissa had just revealed.

"Well, while it seems the rest of you have lost the ability to talk, I am going to change." Marissa told her friends before grabbing her robes and promptly leaving the compartment.

Alice, Alex, Gracie and Lily just looked at each other unable to talk. Lily spoke first.

"Did you honestly expect her to tell us?" Lily asked, "I thought she would just keep evading."

"She left pretty quickly though, and what's with the 3 day" Alex asked suspiciously, "What, does she need, like, time to get her story together, or what?"

"Maybe that's exactly it!" Alex exclaimed,

"What?" Everyone else asked.

"What if it wasn't with Daniel? What if, she cheated!" Alex theorised.

"Come on! There's no use in speculating, we should just get changed," Lily concluded, before she as well got up to grab her robes, though unlike Marissa, she just proceeded to undress in the compartment, after closing the blinds of course.

"Yeah, we must be almost there! Merlin! I'm starving; do you think they'll have pudding?" Alice asked, completely putting behind her Marissa's surprising reveal.

"Oh yeah, and roast beef! Do you think they'll have some roast beef?" Alex asked eagerly.

"What about Turley? Oh Merlin I love turkey!" Gracie added.

The three girls then proceeded to discuss all the foods they were looking forward to at Hogwarts legendary Start-of-Term Banquet while getting changed.

The Hogwarts Express zoomed towards the magnificent Hogwarts castle, bringing forth all the budding witches and wizards of Britain preparing for another eventful year of magic, mayhem and mystery.

And it was certainly off to an interesting start.

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**Hey, hope you enjoyed that, even if you didnt thanks for reading!**

**all review/comments/suggestions/opinions welcome!**

**will update agian soom hopefully.**

**xx Merryn**


	2. Welcome to Hogwarts

_Chapter Two – Welcome to Hogwarts_

40 wet, shivering eleven year olds shuffled into The Great Hall. As one big pack they edged towards to the staff table, in front of which a single wooden chair was lain out, on top of it sat a hat. The First Year witches and wizards looked at each other in anticipation. Some were nervous, some excited, one was staring creepily at Professor Figgins (the Muggle Studies teacher), several looked as if they were about to throw up, and several more could not have been happier.

Dumbledore stood up and announced; "Let the sorting begin!" before sitting again and gesturing to Professor McGonagall, who nodded to the hat, which opened its beady eyes and it's large mouth and began to sing;

"_Centuries ago lived four,  
Great Wizards of the time,  
Who had one common goal:  
To nurture wizard minds,  
So set out the four,  
Whose work is standing still ,  
To set up our dear school,  
As a testament to their skill,  
Four they were, and four they stay,  
So four houses marked, the Hogwarts seal,  
From ancient times, to modern day,  
Since when, Hogwarts, they did reveal,  
Bold Gryffindor valued,  
The daring and the brave,  
To act as gentlemen,  
And carry his great name  
Sweet Ravenclaw was wise,  
And wanted those of brains,  
Whose intelligence would,  
Do justice to her name,  
Shrewd Slytherin had other plans,  
To pick those of great ambition,  
Pure blood and unmatched cunning,  
Were qualities of his tradition,  
Lastly, for all who toil,  
Kind Hufflepuff was fair,  
Who treasured most the patient,  
But took all and didn't care,  
So, upon your head I sit,  
And pick through you mind,  
You one true house and family,  
I am sure to find."_

One by one the students walked up and sat on the chair, to be sorted into their houses. From "Barkley, Hannah" ("GRYFFINDOR!"), to "Webster, Jack" ("HUFFLEPUFF!") and all in between, the new Hogwartians all eagerly sat down with their chosen houses and got to know their fellow house-members. When the sorting was done ('Zan, Mike' ["RAVENCLAW!"] ) Dumbledore rose once again and stepped out to where now stood a great marble and gold stand in place of the chair.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," bellowed Dumbledore. He stood before a hall of almost three hundred students who were all starving and massively anticipating the unbelievably delicious Hogwarts feast awaiting them. "I know you all must be starving, so I shall simply say: Eat." With that, plates and bowls and trays of various sizes, shapes and colours, all containing the most mouth-watering of dishes, appeared across all four long wooden tables. Lush salads, crisp chicken, sizzling pork, crackling bread, smoking turkey, melting pudding and steaming rice wafted towards the noses of drooling children.

For the next couple minutes all that could be heard was crunching, chewing and the clinking of knives on plates. After everyone had had their initial fill, it was time to settle back into the Hogwarts spirit.

"I live for this turkey!" Said Gracie, but her mouth was full of said turkey at the time so it came out more like; "iwiffohisturkeh"

Gracie was sitting opposite Alex and next to Alice, who was sitting opposite Lily, who was sitting next to Marissa, who was sitting next to her boyfriend Daniel, and the two were opposite Sirius and Remus, who were throwing sausages at Peter who was sitting back next to Alex and opposite James.

James was eyeing Lily, but Lily's eyes were focused much further down the table, so far in fact, that she was actually staring at the next table over. Sam Newton, a 7th year Hufflepuff Beater, had been the object of Lily's unrequited affection for three years now. While Lily had never even thought of trying to ask him out, she did so enjoy staring at him during dinner and class.

"Earth to Lily?" Alice called as she waved her hand in front of Lily's dreamy eyes. Lily could not see the hand in front of her face; she was too bust imagining Sam naked.

"Seriously girl? What's with you? You've haven't eaten a thing all night, you just pick up the food wave it near you mouth then put it down again." Alice continued, concerned for her friend, waving her hand again, this time more ferociously.

"Give up Alice, she's on a express train to Sam town, there's no stopping her now." Gracie said nonchalantly not even looking up but continuing to re-do her lipstick between bites.

Alice gave up and left Lily alone to stare imaginatively at Sam. She turned to the rest of her friends;

"So what classes are everyone taking this year?" She asked everyone.

"I'm taking pretty much the same as last year; History of Magic, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Astrology, Ancient Runes, you know; the usual" Alex responded, everyone looked at her weirdly.

"What?" She asked defensively,

"Nothing" Alice said dismissively, "I'm also taking pretty much the same thing as last year; Potions, charms, defence. Etc"

"Are you talking about school? I think I might be behind already in charms, I mean I know classes haven't started yet or anything but I didn't do any practise on the holidays and I hear it gets really hard this year, I heard from Sally that … "

"Whoa there Lily, I see we've managed to snap you out of you boy-coma state, trust the only thing more important to you than Sam is school, you need to sort of your priorities woman; life first, school later. And life is quickly passing away, while you were mentally undressing Sam before did you even bother to look at what he's doing?" Gracie lectured Lily, gesturing over to the Ravenclaw table where Sam was talking to Evy Gold. "That's a girl, and that's what you could be doing if you just manned-up and asked him out, or even talked to him."

Lily looked down at the pickled carrots in front of her; "You're right, it's just so intimidating, and I've never been very good with guys," She confessed, "I've always found charms and spells easier than asking boys out, in fact I find it a little awkward even talking to them."

"You talk to Potter all the time, and Remus and all the rest of the marauders," Alex countered, the rest agreeing immediately,

"That's more shouting than talking, and we've known them for seven years! We've practically lived with them for seven years, Sam I've only really talked to once, and that was only when he asked me if I had any spare beetle juice that one time in potions last year." She admitted, "I didn't."

"Well that's how you could start, go up to him and say something like, here the beetle juice you wanted, sorry it's over a year late, is there anything I can do to make up for late delivery?" Gracie suggested,

"Does that ever actually work?" Marissa asked disbelievingly.

"Sometimes."

"Moving on, from Gracie's unique guy catching plans, I have a real idea. We'll talk later tonight. Mean time, everyone eat up. This turkey is de-licious!" Alex cheered, "You were right Gracie, about this anyway, about the other stuff we'll have to see."

One delicious turkey later; 6 girls, 15 bags, 3 owls and a cat all burst through the door into the 7th Year Gryffindor Girls Dormitory. Greeted by 6 identical four poster beds and hangings of brilliant scarlet and gold, the girls all stumbled into the room, dragging trunks and cages of all shapes and sizes behind them.

"Ahhh, Home, Magical Home" The tallest of the girls exclaimed as she dropped her bags to the floor barley 6 ft from the entrance and then carefully placed the bird cage she was holding on a table and opening the door to let her owl fly around the room.

"Hey!" Emma exclaimed as the owl took a dive for her head, "Watch it! We've told you a million times Alice" Emma said frustratedly, "open the window first THEN the cage, so that Pouka doesn't fly all around the room."

"Right, sorry." Alice said apologetically before opening the window in front of her and letting Pouka fly out and up to the Owlery on top of the West Tower. After the third (and hopefully final) instalment of Pukini: The Magical Escape Artist Owl, the girls all began to unpack their bags and trunks for their seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Alice went into the bathroom to unpack her toiletries, Gracie sat on her bed and took out her manicure set from her one of her seven bags (the one about the size of a small boulder and filled entirely with make-up) and began painting her fingers. Emma began methodically placing all her items in her super-organised, sub-divided, colour-coded, brightly-labelled bed-side table; and Alex, Lily and Marissa all started putting their clothes away.

"Ok everyone, I wrote up a bathroom roster over the holidays so we can avoid, awkward situations, and maximise efficiency and traffic flow" Emma instructed the other girls (once she had finished her meticulous unpacking), all deeply immersed in "unpacking" (aka, throwing everything out of their bags, hoping it'll land in the right spot). No-one paid any attention to Emma, who then proceeded to magically glue said bathroom roster to the bathroom door. Gracie had now moved onto her toes and her bags remained thoroughly un-packed while Emma's were all completely empty and perfectly miniaturised and stacked neatly at the foot of her flawless bed.

"Has anyone seen my black, lacy bra?" Marissa asked the room, her head still buried in her mountain of suitcases. A collective 'no' ensued, no-one even bothering to look up because they were all still pre-occupied with sorting out their own scattered belongings.

Alice, who had been unpacking her many toiletries in the bathroom, returned to the main room and picked up her stuff, plonking it down on a bed that, unbeknownst to Alice, had already been claimed by Alex. Alex, who was unpacking her clothes and stowing them away in the cupboard, turned around to see Alice unpacking _her_ things in the bedside table.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked Alice,

"What do you mean?" Alice asked back,

"This is my bed." Alex explained, pointing at her already unpacked things on and around the bed.

"No it's not." Alice retorted, "It's my bed."

"Why would you think that?" Alex asked, "It's been my bed for the past six years, it would seem only logical that it remains my bed this year."

"What are you talking about? This was MY bed last year." Alice responded confidently, raising her voice.

"No it wasn't" Alex replied, raising her voice even further above Alice's.

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't"

This went on for about another 5 minutes before Lily decided that it wasn't just going to resolve itself and that she had better step in now or very soon they might start throwing their clothes at each other ultimately culminating in an all-out Girl War.

"Yes it …"

"GUYS!" Lily yelled over the top of her bickering friends, finally fed up with their never-ending arguments, "Seriously. It's just a bed."

"Yes and it's just MY bed." Alex added,

"No. It's mi…"

"STOP!" Lily shouted over the marched over to the bed the two girls where bickering over and started to examine it to see if there was a way to determine whose bed it actually was. After several minutes of intense staring on Alex and Alice's part, and scrupulous examination on Lily's part, a verdict was reached. Lily re-emerged from the dresser to proclaim:

"Alex, this bed is Alice's." She stated matter-of-factly, "That's your bed" she added pointed at the remaining, unclaimed bed.

"But…But I want THAT bed." Alex whined, "That's MY bed, I know it is."

It took another 28 minutes to convince Alex to relinquish her claim on the bed, when Lily and Alice finally managed to convince her Emma and Gracie had already gone to bed. Marissa was still up, but only to read her latest duelling book; '_The Do's and Don'ts of Bathroom Battles: __When to Say and When to Spray_'.

Lily climbed into her own, undisputed, bed, relived that all the nights Drama had finally been put to rest. Though, despite the fact that there was now, relative calm in her dormitory, Lily lay awake for several hours, staring up at the ceiling directly above her bed, where, five years ago, she had inscribed the words: "_Lily Evans was here; A Mudblood, A Witch, A Freak, or Just A Girl?"_ when one night in second year she had run into a bunch of Slytherins in the corridor who were just returning from a lunchtime detention, that had resulted in her first hearing of the word Mudblood (which, at the time, she didn't even know the meaning of) and the first (and only time) time she was actually glad the James Potter came to save the day, before she wound up in the Hospital Wing.

_I was walking to Charms class, it was after lunch and I was late to Fourth Period because I couldn't find my books, I suspect that someone had hidden them. I turned to go down the Fifth floor corridor when I (quite literally) ran into a bunch of Slytherins. They immediately stopped their conversation and turned to look down at me._

"_Watch where you're going Gryffindor!" One of the larger, muscly ones said threateningly, obviously intending 'Gryffindor' as some kind of insult. I was really proud to be in Gryffindor, even if it meant I would eventually have to live everyday 20 ft from Potter (Which I was naively unaware of at the time). I recognised him as Bradley Cooper from the year above. He was a Chaser in the Slytherin Quidditch Team, as well I saw Marcus Thames, Second year Slytherin, Thomas O'Reily, also a Slytherin Chaser in Third Year, as well as two guys I didn't recognise._

"_I'm Sorry" I said to them politely, but in no way indicating that I was scared and trying my hardest not to give in to their attempt at intimidation. I started to continue down the hallway but two of the Slytherin guy moved to block my way again, and instead I bumped into them again, which, of course, they interpreted as entirely my fault._

"_Oi!" Thomas shouted at My head, holding onto my arm as I backed away from them again, "I thought we told you to watch where you're going, Gryffindor" The way which her said it clearly indicated that if this were to happen again the consequences would we far more severe than a simple 'roughing around'._

"_Don't even bother with her O'Reilly, she just a little Mudblood."_

_Everyone turned to look at the speaker of these words, some with shock, some with nonchalant appreciation, myself with a mixture of hurt and confusion, as I'd never that word before, but even though I didn't know what it meant, I knew from the tone and who spoke it: Michael Conner, Fourth Year Slytherin Seeker and Quidditch Captain, school bully and constant pain-in-the-ass to all non-Slytherin teachers and frequent visitor to detention; that it was meant to be hurtful and insuting._

_Thomas O'Reilly turned back to me with a look of victory in his eyes; "Well then I guess no-one will mind if she spends the night in the Hospital Wing"._

"_Hey! Un-hand her you great Buffoon!" Came a heroic voice from the adjacent corridor. I turned to see none other than the 'great' James Potter standing there. I had never before been so grateful to see him before, but feared he would not be able to take on all 6 of them without winding up I the hospital wing himself. I was then dropped to the ground rather forcefully by Thomas as he turned to face the new threat. The force of hitting the floor knocked me unconscious for a while so I have no idea how he did it, but all I can remember is waking up sometime later in the Hospital Wing to Madame Tootey telling me if James had not come along it would have been much worse._

Lily eventually fell asleep that night, after long pondering the events of that fateful day, but soon the memories were forgotten and far out of mind by the next morning, as Lily and everyone else in Hogwarts, became too preoccupied with the commencement of Classes the next day.


	3. Wake Up Your Pants Are On Fire

So this chapter is twice as long as the ones i was writing before, but i combined them so it;s as long as the current previous chapters (if that confused you nevermind! ^-^ )

My left hand is sooo sore right now because of all the typing i did for this chapter! i' so glad it's finally finished!

Also; at the very end of this chapter, James and Lily's timetables were meant to be included and they were really pretty, colour-coded, outlined Microsoft excel tables, but they didn;t copy well into here so i tried to re-do them THREE TIMES [which took forever! ( :/ )] but it didn't work so i cant' include them

_Do not own_

**The first day of classes begins in the 7th Year Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory with a mission: Wake Up Gracie, the gang quickly relocates to The Great Hall to receive their next mission (NEWTS) in the form of their class schedules, but what disastrous turn-of-events await Lily Evans? Read On to find out! **

And finally; thanks a heap to my beta-reader, motivator, inspiration, bounce-ideas-off-of person, friend and fellow writer: birchernuesli !

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Chapter Three – Wake Up Your Pants Are On Fire

Emma, Alice, Alex, Lily and Marissa all woke promptly to Emma alarm at 6:29 the next morning, breakfast was at 7:30 and classes begin at 9:00 exactly. The girls had long gotten used to Emma need to be everywhere at least 5 or 10 minuets early, and had grown somewhat used to the shrill ringing that was Emma's muggle alarm. Gracie, however, seemed blissfully oblivious to the four half-awake and one freakishly alert Gryffindor girls all trudging around the small room trying to locate underwear and toothbrushes and shoes.

"Someone had better wake Gracie up" Alex said to no-one in particular as she riffled through her clothes, withdrawing the appropriate cloak, shirt and pants for a day of wholehearted learning.

"Nah, let her sleep" Alice countered, as she stared at herself in the mirror, apply her daily make-up and trying to avoid sticking herself in the eye with her mascara as she precariously dangled her floppy arm in front of her face.

"Why should she get to sleep, we didn't" Lily muttered, not looking up from the shoes she was tying. Her comment was obviously intended light-heartedly, but the last two words were said with a hint of anger and irritation.

"The early bird catches the worm" Emma replied casually, gathering her books in her arms and descending the stairs outside the dormitory door.

"What if I don't like worms?" Lily shouted out the door, but Emma didn't respond. Lily turned back to her shoes and resumed tying the laces in a neat little bow. Petunia had taught Lily to tie her shoelaces when she was 7 years old, before either of them knew anything about Hogwarts, or witches, and back when the cool things Lily could do were just harmless fun. _Oh, how things have changed_, Lily thought, reminiscing on her younger years, when Tuney used to actually talk to her and life was so simple and worry-free.

Lily, having finished putting on her shoes (it should really only have taken her a minute but everything takes at least 5 times longer when you're sleep-deprived, and she got distracted thinking about other things), looked up from her feet and around the room, slowly but surely all her fellow Gryffindors got dressed and gathered books and brushed their hair, until you almost couldn't tell that they had been woken up at some un-holy hour (well, half six) against their will.

"Oh, I can't wait to get my class schedule" Marissa said excitedly and she took out the wand-cleaning kit the girls had got her last Christmas and began polishing her wand.

"Me too," Alex agreed, "last year they had a clash between Divination and Ancient Runes, so I had to pick just one. I really hope nothing clashes this year." Alex finished though it seemed less and less of the girls were paying attention the more she said.

"Oh I bet that was so hard to chose, which did you pick?" Alice asked sarcastically, not actually caring for an answer, as she made her bed.

Alex clearly didn't pick up on the sarcasm as she immediately replied; "I picked Div, because McGonagall said I could pick up Ancient Runes again this year if I really tried."

"And because no-one else does Ancient Runes" Alice added under her breath, so only Lily heard her. The two girls exchanged glances and burst out giggling.

"What?" Alex asked confused,

"Oh nothing," Lily assured her, "I can't wait to get mine either," Lily said, changing the subject away from Ancient Runes.

"I hope I get lots of frees!" Alice wished, "Too many classes in one day really does my head in."

"Yeah, Merlin forbid you do any actual schoolwork Alice!" Lily joked,

"Hey!" Alice said, throwing the sweater she had just picked out of her draw at Lily, "I do work!"

"And she has a point Lily," Alex added, "School is about more than just work. It's about Li–

"Life" Lily, Marissa and Alice all finished for her, "Yeah, yeah we know. But someone really better wake Gracie up or she's going to be late." Lily said as she glanced at the clock on her bedside table and saw the little neon-green letters flash 7:15"

"Oi, Gracie! Get Up!" Marissa shouted, but Gracie simply rolled over and continued snoring.

"Let me try" Lily said pushing passed Alice and leaning down next to Gracie's exposed ear, "Hey Gracie," Lily started softly and gently, "WAKE UP!". But alas, this too had no effect on the great sleeping machine that was Gracie Parkinson. Lily just looked up at her friends and shrugged, "I say we just leave her here."

"Oh move over!" Alice said, pushing past Marissa and Lily, "Dear Merlin, Gracie your pants are on fire!" she shouted in complete sincerity, "Quick! Your limited edition Paul Sass silk pants are fire."

"What?" Gracie asked, quickly perking up and looking around the room to survey the (non-existent) damage. Lily and Marissa just started laughing hysterically. "Oh Alice I'm gonna kill you!" Gracie threatened, as she got out of bed and began undressing and redressing in her class robes. After completing the dressing phase of her morning routine she began to gather her things and relocate into the bathroom for phase two: Shower, shortly followed by the third and final phase: Hair and Make-Up. Normal people would look at Gracie's routine and question that shower came after dressing, but this was just the way Gracie had always done it; undress, redress, undress again, redress again. Lily assumed it came from the fact that her family was so huge maybe they had to allocate their bathroom time and this was just a rhythm she had settled into. Lily also never understood why Gracie insisted on putting on so much make-up day in and day out, but Gracie always insisted it was a complete necessity.

"You don't have time for that." Alice informed her Gracie nonchalantly as she stepped into the bathroom and began re-undressing, ignoring her friend's continuing threats of imminent death.

"I don't have time to shower?" Gracie questioned loudly (as she was still inside the bathroom and out-of-sight to the remaining Gryffindor girls), clearly doubtful of her friends imposed time restriction, "It's only," Gracie paused to lean out of the bathroom, half dressed and towel in hand, to glance at the clock on her bedside table, "7:25" she finished, resuming her (somewhat inefficient) process of showering.

"Yes," Alice agreed slowly, taking up the tone one might use when talking to a particularly stubborn 8 year old, "but" she continued even slower, "today is the first day of classes, which means we need to be there early to get our class schedules."

"Can't I just get it later?" Gracie whined,

"No." Alice answered definitely, "You can shower after breakfast," she suggested.

"Fine." Gracie conceded, redressing and leaving the bathroom, un-showered and make-up free. With that sorted, Gracie then reluctantly grabbed her books and followed her fellow 7th Year Gryffindors down the stairs to the common room.

Ever since the disastrous potion incident of third year, everyone knows now that one must take great care when descending the stairs, and be careful to pay attention to where you're going, one never knows what might be dashing up the stairs in the opposite direction carrying a cauldron full of sleeping draught, which then gets poured all over you because you didn't see them coming and couldn't get out of the way quick enough and as a result you end up collapsing and missing first class. Thankfully; that did not happen today, and all the girls made it safely down the stairs and out the Portrait Hole in one piece and completely awake. Well, sort of.

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Five of the six Seventh year Gryffindor Girls made their way into the Great Hall together at precisely 7:40. On a normal day this would have been considered early for breakfast, as most students don't usually arrive much before 8, but today was no ordinary day. It was the first day, and students would be given their schedules. While the actual classes for seventh years wouldn't change that much from last year (except in extraordinary circumstances), people were eager to see which classes they had with their friends, when their breaks were, and things like what days would be ideal for the Herbology Appreciation Group weekly meetings and when would be a good time to hold Quidditch trials.

The large and intricately decorated walls of the Great Hall surrounded four long, wooden tables lined up in the middle of the enormous room, left to right; all four of them packed with students from all seven year levels. Another long wooden table sat at the far end of the room, opposite the Grand Entrance Archway, at a right angle to the other tables, and propped up on a raised ledge, about a foot above the polished wooden floor. Albus Percival Wulfric Brain Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts 22 years and counting, sat elegantly in the middle of the staff table looking knowingly out on the buzzing crowd of students, which was growing larger by the minute. Next to him sat Minerva McGonagall, who was shuffling parchments and sorting them into piles by house and year group. Banners of scarlet and red; green and silver; blue and bronze; and yellow and black hung majestically above the heads of students below, ruffling with the enchanted wind blowing gently underneath the ceiling which had been charmed to look like a late September evening, golden and browning leaves rustled and fell from withering trees beneath a stunning crimson sunrise.

Lily, upon entering the Hall, scanned it for the remaining seventh year Gryffindor, and found her about mid-way down the centre left table, sorting through her books and organising her notes from last year. Lily made her over to her, taking the spot opposite her and looking up at McGonagall eagerly, completely ignoring the person sitting next to her trying to get her attention.

"Well Good Morning to you too My Love, I see you're ignoring me again, that's okay you'll come around." James Potter assured her, completely believing that it was the truth, even though he was speaking to a thoroughly disinterested Lily Evans who was determined not to react or notice him in any way.

"If you don't mind Potter, I'm trying to concentrate." Lily said through clenched teeth.

"On what?" James laughed. "Class hasn't even started yet, Look" James said, putting his arms around Lily's shoulders, "You gotta lighten up, otherwise this" he indicated their relationship by puller her even close, Lily struggled against his restricting arms, but it was no use, he was too strong, "Ain't gonna work." James loosened his grip on Lily, who immediately shook herself free of James and slide a good three feet further away from him on the long wooden bench that they were all sitting on.

"'Look' yourself" Lily told him, turning to face him, anything but pleased, "I could suddenly turn into the Minister for Magical Transportation, Floo Network Division (who was widely known for being incredibly loose and care-free) and 'this'" Lily said with quotation marks fingers, "still wouldn't happen."

"Come on," James said, sliding down to where Lily was, closing the gap between them, "You gotta give Us a chance." He pleaded sweetly.

"James." Lily said sternly, "There isn't an Us, there never will be an Us. When will you get it through that incredibly thick skull of yours, Never, never ever, ever never NEVER will there be an Us." Lily voiced started to get louder and louder which each 'Never' (as it usually did when she was fighting with James). People from down the table and on the table directly behind and across from James and Lily started turning their heads. Fights between James and Lily were an almost daily occurrence at Hogwarts, though some had hoped that Lily and James' appointments as Head Girl and Boy, respectively, meant that they had worked things out, but alas, it seemed this year would go as all the others had.

"Okay." James agreed un-reluctantly.

Or maybe not. It seems change is in the air for one James Potter, who was never known for backing down from a fight, be it a fist-fight, magical duel, or emotional stand-off.

"Good." Lily said, eyeing James off suspiciously before turning to her friends (who were silently watching the whole encounter between her and James), "What?" Lily asked Alice and Marissa, who were just staring at her with a strange mix of bewilderment and disappointment.

"Nothing, so how do you think they got to replace Professor Looney-Bin?" Alice deflected.

"Professor Charlatan," Lily corrected authoritatively, "was not crazy." Alice and Marissa just sniggered at this comment, "he transferred to Bulgaria to be with his sister."

"Yeah, yeah, sure whatever, I hope the new professor teaches up lots of cool jinxes." Marissa added cheerfully. Defence Against the Dark Arts had been Marissa's favourite class since First Year, she had liked all the DADA teaches since then (they got a new one every year) but none one them ever quite measured up to Professor Ghert. He was there Second Year Teacher, who set up a Duelling Club (without Dumbledore's permission) and was absolutely bonkers Marissa and her (now) boyfriend Daniel Kurt were the only ones who showed up. This was where they first met and have been going out ever since Third Year when Daniel accidently hexed Marissa's left eyebrow off and Marissa hexed Daniel's right eyelashes off in a class run by their (then) DADA professor, Professor Wimplekins.

"Oh look! Here comes Professor McGonagall" Lily announced excitedly, pointing up the aisle where, indeed, Professor McGonagall was walking slowly down towards them, passing out slips of parchment to various Gryffindor students on the way down.

Lily was practically jumping up and down in her seat by the time Professor McGonagall reached them.

"Here you Miss Evans" She said in her usual, eloquent tone, handing Lily a small piece of parchment.

"Yay Double Potions first!" Lily cheered looking down at her schedule, "Then a free before lunch great! What do you guys all have now?" Lily asked her friends, who ad all also been given their schedules,

"Same as you; Double Potions then free" Answered Alice, and although she smiled she didn't look as excited about starting the morning with Double Potions as Lily did.

"Double Potions with you guys then Ancient Runes" Answered Emma.

"Wow Emma! How many classes are you taking this year? Your schedule's so full!" remarked Alice as she peered over Emma shoulder,

"Only two more than you guys, I had to sit down with McGonagall to decide if I could handle the work load last year, but we both agreed we could." Emma said nonchalantly. Anyone but her friends night have thought she was boasting or fishing for complements but her fellow Gryffindors knew that this was just how she was.

"I've got a free all morning then Defence after lunch," Answered Marissa,

"Same here!" Gracie said happily, "High Five!"

"I have a free, then Ancient Runes with Emma." Finished Alex.

"Well lookey here Evans, looks as if we'll be seeing a lot of each this year." Came a voice from behind Lily.

Lily turned to see James Potter looming over her, class schedule in hand. "And why is that, Potter?" Lily asked him seriously.

"Cause it looks like we're taking all the same classes." James explained, a look of triumph spreading gleefully across his face.

Lily just stared back up at him (and I mean 6ft 3in of the floor up), frozen in shock. "What?" She asked in a small, disbelieving, voice, holding onto her last little hope that this was all a prank. James merely held out his schedule as proof.

Lily reached out her hands, not sure if she really wanted to see what was written on the parchment, but took it none the less and glanced down at what was written on the paper.

It was exactly the same as hers; every class, every free. It looked as if they had just taken her Schedule and substituted 'James Potter' for 'Lily Evans' and '_Boy_' for '_Girl_'.

Lily looked back up at James to see him still beaming down at her. He took back his schedule and simply turned and started walking out of the hall with the rest of the marauders. He was about halfway out the door when he suddenly stopped and turn around. It looked as if he had forgotten something, but instead of making his way back he simply looked straight at Lily and shouted: "See you in class My Love!", loud enough for the whole Hall (which, gratefully was only about half-full at this point) to hear.

Lily, boiling with fury and anger just turned back towards Alice (who was sitting opposite her) and started banging her head against the wooden table repeating: "Why me?", over and over again.

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**Hope you enjoyed that**

**R + R please! much appreciated.**

**Will post again soon, chapter four on the way!**

**xx Merryn **


	4. An Encounter With The Enemy

Over 3,500 words longest chapter yet! (hope that makes up for my inexcusably late postage!) really enjoyed this chapter, kept trying to cut it down and finish it earlier, but i just couldn't.

_do not own_

**Lily and Alex attend their first class of the year and already there's drama, boys and shoe-swapping.**

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Chapter Four – An Encounter With The Enemy

"Come on Alice we'll be late for Potions!" Lily said hurriedly as she attempted to usher her friend out the door and off to class. "Marissa, Gracie, Alex we'll see you later!" Lily hurried her goodbyes, slinging her books over her shoulder practically dragging her friend away from her stolen toast (brought promptly to Alex at exactly 8:45 every morning by a suspiciously obedient house elf working in the Kitchens) and jam.

"Do we have to leave now?" Alex whined,

"Yes." Lily told her firmly.

"But…" Alex protested,

"No buts." Lily cut her off, the conversation staring to resemble something one might hear between a persistent mother and a particularly stubborn child. "Come on we have to go." Lily urged her.

Marissa, Gracie and Alex all waved half-hearted goodbyes before quickly returning to their conversation deciding which items of clothing should be designated 'Group items' and were available for the whole dorm to borrow. Marissa was currently trying to persuade Gracie to 'donate' (as they called it) her black ankle boots but Gracie was refusing, trying to convince Marissa to accept her red pumps instead. Emma had already left for class 10 mins ago and Lily was determined not to be late.

Pulling Alice away from the Gryffindor common room by her arm and juggling all her potions books in her free hand, Lily started walking swiftly towards the door. Well, as fast as she could while being weighed down by half a dozen spell books and pulling a 120 pounds 17 year old girl behind her. About halfway across the room Lily realised she wouldn't have enough hands to push open the portrait hole. Apparently someone else had the same thought for just as Lily approached the portrait hole another arm reached out in front of her and pushed it open for her. Lily turned to thank her mysterious Good Samaritan,

"Thank you–" she began nicely,

"No problem love, I'll always be here when you need me" Replied a thoroughly pleased-looking James Potter, "And probably when you don't as well." He chuckled, his brilliant hazel eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lights that lined the ceiling and the corners of his mouth sparkling with a smile that flashed his pearl-white teeth and gleamed. It was a look that many-a-girl would easily swoon over at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but it was one that Lily Evans was never excited to see, especially today, while she was trying to get to class.

"Oh, it's you." Lily said, her demeanour immediately shifting from grateful to annoyed.

"No thank you." James replied sarcastically, "I mean I don't just go around opening doors for anyone."

"Yes you do." Lily corrected him, in a very matter-of-fact manner and incredibly unenthused.

"Ah, well, maybe I do." James confessed, "But I like doing it for you the most."

"Was that supposed to be a complement?" Lily asked,

"Yes." James answered proudly; dumbly unaware of the fact that it had not achieved its desired result.

"Well it wasn't a very good one." Lily countered, "And I haven't the time for this now. I have to go to class," and with that Lily turned around and quickly swept herself out of the portrait hole, hauling Alice behind her.

"You know you don't have to be so mean to him, he's just trying to be nice" Alice said to Lily once she had let go of her arm and they were clear of the common room.

"We both know he not 'just trying to be nice'." Lily said firmly, walking so quickly that she was almost running,

"Aw, come on! Give him a chance," Alice pleaded, almost running to keep up with Lily.

"No. And we're going to be late to class if you don't start walking faster." Lily informed Alice as she rounded a corner.

Alice just rolled her eyes and began running after Lily who had disappeared down the adjacent corridor that took you to History of Magic and Charms classrooms.

The two girls ran quickly through the halls, narrowly dodging other students, who were all also late for class. Lily hated to be late, especially for the first class and even more on the first day of term. You could see the frenzied determination in her eyes as she scooted round the bends and evaded flying books and open doors. Alice was huffing and puffing to keep up with Lily, and was so focused on keeping Lily in her sight that she almost collided with Professor Wick (who taught Divination and was quite, well, interesting).

"Oh sorry!" Alice apologised quickly, glancing in front of her to make sure Lily didn't get to far ahead, she hadn't stopped and Alice was quite sure she didn't even realise that Alice wasn't right beside her anymore.

"What?" Professor Wick asked, glancing around as if she hadn't felt Alice run into her.

"Never mind," Alice told her quickly before dashing off to catch up to Lily. Having caught up with her not too much farther down the corridor, Alice reached out (literally) to Lily and managed to slow her to a quick walk.

A few minutes passed and the two girls were now walking briskly down the hallway that lead to the flight of stairs that took you down to the Dungeons, they sped up just a tiny bit (they were already a few minutes late) and quickly rounded the last corner before reaching 'The Death Staircase'.

'The Death Staircase' was the name given to the staircase that led down to the main entrance hallway for the dungeons. It was called this for two main reasons; One: no-body liked the dungeons, and Two: there was a surprising increase in the number of 'accidents' on this particular staircase, compared with others around the castle. The Marauders had named it thus three years ago when, in Fourth Year, a 6th Year Hufflepuff 'fell' from the very top down 6 stories and almost died.

The pair reached the top of the stairway and began running down them, taking the steps two at a time. "Oh Merlin! We're so late!" Lily moaned, as she and Alice ran down the various dungeon hallways looking for the right classroom (all the classrooms looked the same and no-one had thought to write the numbers on or above their doors).

"What does it matter if we're late?" Alice asked, clearly not stressing out as much as Lily was, "Professor Slughorn loves you; he'd never give you a detention." Alice argued, when Lily once again took up the approach of literally dragging her down the corridor after recognising the right classroom down the end of the hall and picking up speed in order to get their as fast as humanly possible (or faster, as Lily would have liked).

"True." Lily agreed, "But he might give you one." She argued back. Alice just glared at Lily in response, but she knew it was true.

Class had only been going for about 5 or 10 mins when the two girls finally broke through the door opening onto Potions Dungeon 3.

"Ah! Lily, so nice of you to join us, please, come sit." Professor Slughorn greeted her warmly, indicating a free seat at the very front of the desks. "We're brewing Draughts of Peace today, you should do just fine." Slughorn informed her, fully overlooking her tardiness and completely ignoring her companion, who had now taken a seat at the back of the class next to Mary Figgins, a 7th Year Ravenclaw. After Lily took her allocated seat Slughorn simply turned back to the board and continued his explanation to the class on exactly how to brew a Draught of Peace.

"About time you got here, I was getting worried," A slightly concerned James Potter informed Lily as she place her books on the desk and went about locating the appropriate page.

"How on Earth did you get down here so quickly? Alice and I came the fastest way and we left at least 5 minutes before you, and we didn't see you pass us on the way down here." Lily asked James, sounding a bizarre mix of confused, jealous and angry.

"I have my ways," James replied coyly, shrugging his shoulders tilting his head innocently to one side. This just made Lily scoff and vow to ignore him for the rest of the lesson, a task which became infinitely harder once Professor Slughorn announced:

"You'll be working in partners toady, pair up with the person sitting next to you."

James turned to Lily with a huge, silly grin spreading across his face, which Lily met kindly with a groan and a gentle wack on the head with one of the more threatening-looking potions textbooks.

"Ow!" James exclaimed, "What you do that for?" he asked angrily

"Oh please," Lily rolled her eyes, "That didn't hurt." At this James just winked at her, "Don't get cocky Potter, I'm only doing this cause I have to."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say." James agreed, "We're going to need some powdered moonstone, you should have that in your personal store, and some syrup of Hellebore, you'll find that in the cupboard." James began, "We're also gonna need some valerian roots, also in the cupboard." James rattled of 3 or 4 more ingredients, Lily nodding and 'mm-hm'-ing to each one, writing them all down on neat list to take with her into the cupboard to avoid having to take her whole potions book.

Lily returned several minutes later, after James had finished reading off the necessary ingredient for the recipe, her arms full of various jars and herbs and powders.

"Let get started shall we?" Lily suggested impatiently to James, who was currently leaning back on his chair, feet on the table, eyes closed and arms behind his head.

"Yes, let's," he relied half-heartedly, not moving or showing any indication that he would start working any time soon.

"Well…" Lily prompted, James still not moving, "Are you going to help me or not."

"Do you _need_ me to help?" James asked, stressing the 'need' as an indication as to why he had not moved.

"No." Lily answered, "I'm sure I could do just as well, if not better, on my own."

"Do you _want_ me to help?" He pressed further, trying to prove he was justified in remaining un-moving.

"No." Lily replied again,

"Then why should I help?" James asked rhetorically, "You'll do just fine on your own, and you don't even want me to. Ergo: I will not help. Everybody Wins!"

"You should help," Lily told him forcefully, as if the mere action of speaking to him was taxing and unpleasant, "because it's a _partner_ thing, and you're my partner."

"Okay, okay, I'll help," James agreed, taking his feet off the table and sitting up in his chair, "But first:" James said, holding up his finger, before pausing for (intended) dramatic effect. Lily groaned; she found that these words were never followed by relevant, appropriate, wanted or even useful things. "Will you go out with me Lily?" James asked sincerely, looking deep into Lily's stunning green eyes, his own hazel ones reflected in the pupils by the dim, flickering lights of the dungeon ceiling. Lily held James' gaze for several minutes, briefly intoxicated by the overwhelming aroma of James' vanilla-scented aftershave, but broke it off quickly, shaking her head and looking to the front of the classroom and sighing.

"No Potter, I won't go out with you." She said slowing and deliberately, sounding almost as if she were exhausted by the question.

This was Lily's usual response to this question, which she was asked an awful lot by James Potter (who had been publically crushing on her for almost two years now). Sometime she responded with things such as; "I will never ever go out with you, you arrogant toe-rag", and "If you ask me that one more time I will curse you're head into oblivion". Other times she simply stalked off without a response or ignored it completely, acting as if she hadn't heard him. On one or two occasions she had even been known to slap him across the face before additionally refusing his proposal and continuing about her day as if it hadn't happened.

"Now can we please get to work Potter?" Lily asked James.

"Sure, sure." Replied James, brushing off Lily's cold refusal as if he had just asked her if she liked roast duck instead of something which some people would consider soul-crushing upon rejection.

The lesson continued much in this manner for the next hour and a half, as Lily work tirelessly away at the Draught of Peace, and James helped as little as possible (which he knew infuriated her to no end and would make it infinitely harder to get her to go out with him, her just liked messing with people sometimes).

By the end of the, exhausting, double-potions opener to the new school year, the 7th year students were all looking thoroughly dishevelled, but very few of the finished potions emitted the desired slivery vapour. Lily and James' was one of the few that appeared to have been brewed correctly.

Lily left the classroom as soon as they were dismissed by Professor Slughorn, who was (on the whole) rather impressed with the work of the day. No-one's potion bore a hole though the floor and everyone had retained both eyebrows by the end of class. Eager as she was to leave, Lily was first halted by Professor Slughorn's insistence to publically praise her and Severus Snape's perfect potions.

Once released Lily practically leapt to the back of the class, ushering Alice out as quickly as she could manage.

"In a hurry to get somewhere?" Alice asked Lily, quickly gathering up all her stuff before following Lily out of the classroom and back up The Death Staircase.

"Yes." Lily answered through clenched teeth, "Anywhere far enough away from Potter" she snarled as she said his name, "that I can't see him, hear him or talk to him."

"Something happen in class today?" Alice asked, confused at Lily's sudden shift from her normal, happy post-potions mood, to her sour James-triggered mood.

"Yes." Was all Lily answered, trying to walk as far away from the dungeons as she possible.

"You know the common room is that way." Alice told her, pointing back the direction they had just had just come from.

"What?" Lily asked, snapping out of her James-induced fury, lifting her head up from the ground which she had been intensely staring at the whole time since they left the Dungeons and looking around her. "Oh, right."

Lily loosened up a bit after that as she and Alice made their way down the right hallway, to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So what did James do that's got you all hot and bothered?" Alice asked in her usual probing manner.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Lily answered, "We're you going to try out for Chaser again this year when Potter," she said the name with reluctance and a hint of anger, "organises trials?"

"Probably, I mean, Sydney Laurence from Fifth year has been practising, like, non-stop all summer apparently, and so I might not make the team, but I'll try." Alice sighed; she had been one of the three Gryffindor Chasers for three years now and was excellent but she hated the idea that someone else might take that from her.

"Don't worry." Lily reassured her, "You'll make it. You're amazing!" Alice just smiled.

"Don't forget we have the annual Gryffindor All-Out Truth-Or-Dare War tonight."Alice informed Lily importantly. Ever since Third Year, the first night at Hogwarts in a new year had been christened with, what Gracie had dubbed, an 'All-Out Truth-or-Dare War'. It usually involved awkward kisses, embarrassing stories, **lots** of firewhisky and a fake-gold plastic crown that James had engraved 'Truth or Dare King/Queen' on (yes he actually wrote a '/'), which was awarded to the person who the group,(James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, Gracie, Alice, Alex, Peter, Frank, Daniel and Marissa [basically; all of Gryffindor 7th Year minus Emma {who was "above such trivial, immature games"}]), agreed had played the best.

"That's on tonight?" She asked sarcastically, "Come on Alice, like I would forget?" She told her friend, "I hope Sirius can keep it to, at most, between a 15 and an 18 rating." Lily hoped earnestly. Sirius had a habit of introducing widely inappropriate topics, like who of their friend's parents would they shag and at what age did James start masturbating over Lily? (yes, he actually asked that [in that exact phrasing]). Needless to say James did not answer that particular question and Lily and James both tuned bright red. Failure to answer a question, fully, truthfully or at all resulted in immediate relocation to the box of shame (a large cardboard box Remus had charmed to be soundproof so that the person couldn't hear anything around them unless you were talking directly at them, but everyone else could hear you., so that they still had to play, but they couldn't listen to anybody else's responses. Also; there was no food or toilet, and the person was usually in there for several hours.).

Alice just shrugged, "I doubt it." To which Lily just shrugged back.

"You know, I honestly think that he just sits all summer in his room thinking up dirtier questions to ask." Lily proposed thoughtfully.

"I think he spends all summer having sex with random chicks and running around Diagon Alley setting off Firecrackers." Alice countered.

"On the topic of sex, but moving away from Sirius," Lily proposed, "Since you guys grilled me on the train about Potter," Lily still couldn't seem to say his name without growling, "I now get to grill you." Alice rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Lily.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Any boys in _your _life?" She inquired like the boy-crazy teenage she was underneath her hard James-hating exterior.

"No."

"Alice, I've known you since we were eleven." Lily argued, picking up on Alice's obvious (to Lily anyway) lie.

"Fine, I'm kinda crushing on Frank." She admitted.

"Frank _Longbottom_?" Lily asked, sounding slightly shocked. "From Gryffindor?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Do we know any other Frank Longbottom's" Alice replied.

"Oh Merlin!" Lily exclaimed looking down at her bare hands.

"What?" An utterly confused Alice asked, concerned for her friends.

"I left my books in the Dungeon." Lily explained, looking wistfully down the long corridor before sighing and beginning making her way all the way back to Dungeon 3. "Oh. And by the way," Lily called back to Alice, "Don't think I've forgotten about Frank."

Lily was about halfway to the Dungeons when she ran smack-bam into another student.

"Oompf." Lily groaned, _I don't have time for this_ she thought, _I'm not gonna have time to do any of my Potions homework before lunch as it is, I don't want to be late for lunch as well._

"Oh, Sorry Lily." Came the voice of Severus Snape, who was frantically picking up the books he had dropped when he ran into Lily.

"Oh Severus!" Lily exclaimed, "It's you." She smiled at him, before suddenly remembering why she didn't talk to him anymore and then frowning at him. "What do you want?"

"You were the one who crashed into me." Snape pointed out.

Lily just rolled her eyes and started walking off to the Dungeons.

"Wait Lily!" Snape called after her, holding onto her arm and pulling her back towards him.

"Let go of me Sev." She protested. It was funny how, after everything that had happened, Lily still called him Sev, like nothing had changed, like they were still eleven and he was still the little boy who told her she was a witch. But he's told her other things since then, called her other things, done other things, and now she avoids him. But she just can't seem to shake that nickname.

"Lily, please listen." Snap begged, Lily still struggling against his arm. For a somewhat nerdy Slytherin he sure had a strong grip. _Maybe it's all that potion stirring?_ Lily wondered to herself.

"Let me go Sev!" Lily yelled.

"Just stop struggling and listen to me, please Lil" Snape pleaded,

"Let Her Go!" A voice shouted from a doorway just down the corridor Lily and Snape were standing in the middle of.

James Potter to the rescue! Yeah right,

"Go away Potter, I don't need you and I certainly don't want to." Lily told him, not looking at him, but continuing to struggle.

"Yeah Potter, Lil and I are fine." Snape added.

"We are not fine." Lily told Snape sharply, "But I don't need your help either." She told James equally as sharply.

Snape had still not let go of Lily so James ignored Lily's refusal of his help and walk angrily up to Snape anyway, pulling him off Lily and shoving him off against the wall.

Snape accepted defeat and walked off toward the Slytherin common room.

James walked over to Lily, holding her in his arms and looking into her bright green eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked, seriously concerned, "Did he hurt you."

For a moment Lily looked up at James and was momentarily caught by the same look that had temporarily paralysed her back in class, but Lily soon shot back to reality and ran off to the Dungeon leaving a concerned, confused and probably hurt James Potter stranded in the middle of an abandoned hallway.

Lily grabbed her books quickly and raced up to the common room, running straight up to the 7th Year Girls Dormitory and avoiding James completely.

* * *

**R + R ?**

**Would really appreciate some feedback! will try to post quicker now. More on the way!**

**xx Merryn**


	5. Life or Death? Try Truth or Dare!

Hey guys, I know I've been extremely lame by not updating in forever, but i simply didn't have the time, I hope to update more now, but I can't promise any kind of regularity.

(I would like to apologise to user 'dontsayitsgay' for any offence I may have caused by using the term 'gay' in the above paragraph when I meant lame. I did not mean it as an offensive term, I have absolutely nothing against gay people.)

I hope this makes up for it, it's the longest chapter yet (4,000 words YAY!) and one of the funnest to write (when is truth of Dare not fun?) so i hope you enjoy!

_blahblahblahetcetcdoudoudj_

**What do Firewhisky, The Fat Lady, broomsticks, a scarf, make-out sessions, hilarity and chaos all have in common? The 7th year Gryffindor's annual All-Out Truth-or-Dare WAR!**

* * *

_Chapter Five – Life or Death? Try Truth or Dare!_

"Hey Emma!" Alice yelled across the room. Alex, Lily, Alice and Emma and Marissa were all sprawled across the Gryffindor Common Room, sitting, lying and pacing all around the room, doing their homework. It was about 10.30 and the Marauders were all out doing, something marauder-y with Frank, and Gracie was off with some Hufflepuff fifth year. All the younger students were already in their rooms, save for Meredith Stewart. Meredith Stewart was a 4th mini-Emma in-the-making who was hard away at some complex Transfiguration spell in a 'Study Alcove' on the furthest wall of the room. Meredith didn't look up for her work once, (not even when Alex swore so loudly after she nearly burnt the tips of her fingers off trying to charms her essay into writing itself, that you would have thought Godric Gryffindor himself could have heard it from beyond the grave, or at least Scruffy The Caretaker [again, not his actually name, another charming Marauders allocation due to his ever-present scruffiness and his apparent inability to wash his clothes]), and never said anything, so the 7th Year Girls had the Common Room pretty much to themselves.

"What?" She responded impatiently. Emma was always like this when she was studying, which, apart from when she was eating, sleep or attending class, was always.

"What are the properties of Salamander blood?" She asked boldly, knowing full well that Emma would never, ever, give her answers to a school question. Emma merely sighed in response and turned back to her work.

Emma was sitting at the desk in the 'study alcove', as the teachers like to refer to it as, writing her Potions essay on The Properties of Salamander Blood. Alice was across the room, lying in the middle of the floor, surrounded by pieces of parchment and various books of all shapes and sizes. Alex was lying on the couch 'brainstorming' (aka talking about guys but pretending to be studying) with Lily who was on the floor in front of her. Lily had already finished her Potions Essay and had moved onto the questions due for charms, which she was blitzing through. Marissa was in between Alex and Lily, and Alice, pacing across the room, trying to remember the equations for Arithmacy. Alice was trying to finish her potions essay and Alex was 'working' on a translation for Ancient Runes.

Alice had given up on her potions essay and gone to sit with Lily and Alice. There wasn't much room left so she went to get a chair from the 'study alcove' to sit in.

"Whoa!" Alice exclaimed when she saw Emma essay. "Hey Emma." She began seriously,

"What?" She asked preoccupied with the medical uses of Salamander Blood,

"Is you Potions essay running?" She asked, completely seriously,

Everyone looked up from their work at stared weirdly at her (Not Meredith), Emma looked the most confused, "Sorry what?"

"You potions essay, is it running?" She repeated, smiling cunningly as she said it,

"No." Emma answered hesitantly, not sure where Alice was going,

"Then why does it have six feet!" She asked, cracking up as she said it. Lily smirked and shook her head, Alex sighed and Marissa just kept pacing.

"Wow that was bad," Lily commented,

"Shut up" Was all Alice said in response as she dragged the chair over to where they were sitting and sat down on it the wrong way round, so that her legs wrapped around the back.

"So….." Alice began,

"Given up on the homework?" Alex asked sarcastically,

"What homework?" Alice asked innocently,

"You know you'll have to do it eventually," Lily told them, the only focused on of the trio, "I mean," she continued, "We have NEWTS this year."

"Ugh! Can't we, like, just not talk about NEWTS for 2 minutes!" Alex groaned, "All day it was just NEWTS this, and NEWTS that, don't the teacher shave anything else to talk about." She complained, burying her face in the couch cushions.

"You only had one class today!" Lily and Alice pointed out.

"Yeah, but I had to listen to everyone else complaining about NEWTS" Alex defended, "Plus," Alex went on, "Professor Trucklov droned on for, like, 20 minutes, in class today about the importance of 'Proper Note Taking'" Alex said, making quotation marks with her fingers when she said 'Proper Note Taking', as if there was no way such a thing could even exist, "I mean, what is 'Proper Note Taking' anyway?" she asked the room.

"I'm sure if you'd listened to her you would know." Lily answered half under her breath, and half whispered to Alice. The two giggled before looking guiltily up at Alex when she gave her signature loud 'AHEM!' cough/attention-seeking device she used to bring the topic of conversation back to herself. Alex looked at Alice and Lily as if to say, "Well… what were you two just talking about?", raising her eyebrows and looking questioningly at them.

"Nothing," Lily and Alice dismissed simultaneous, resulting in another quick giggle session, answering Alex's non-verbal question and quickly changing the topic.

"So… everyone prepared for tonight?" Alice asked secretively,

"Prepared for what?" Emma asked, who revealed she had been secretly listening to their whole conversation (Professor Slughorn Who?).

All of the other girls (Meredith included) looked up at Emma completely bewildered at her lack of 7th Year Gryffindor knowledge.

"It's their annual, start-of-term All-Out Truth-or-Dare War!" Meredith exclaimed. Everyone was so shocked at Emma's non-knowledge of this historic event that they ignored the fact the Meredith had stopped working.

"Oh, right, that." Emma rolled her eyes.

"That? That? THAT?" Alice looked like she was about to explode over Emma's cavalier dismissal of what was basically the highlight of every 7th year Gryffindor's year, well; every 7th Year Gryffindor, apart from Emma.

"Alice, calm down." Lily told her seriously, "just ignore her." Emma rolled her eyes again,

"You act like it's the Olympics or something." Emma commented as she began packing up her things to go off to bed.

"Olympics, psh," Lily responded rolling her eyes back at Emma, "it's far more important than the Olympics," she concluded matter-of-factly, before turning back towards the rest of the girls who had gathered round the couch in a sort of group-huddle.

"So," Lily began in a hushed voice, giving the meeting the impression of war-strategy importance, "who are we picking this year?" Every year, the girls chose one boy to pick on, and the boys pick one girl. The chosen boy and girl are then given the hardest, most embarrassing and wackiest truths and dares.

"Sirius"

"Sirius"

"Sirius"

"Frank"

Alex, Marissa and Lily all looked quizzically at Alice. They girls always chose one of the marauders to pick on (truthfully, a bit unfair, but they all figure the boys deserve it for all the pranks they will surely be playing on the general student body in the coming year).

"I just figured, since we've never picked him." Alice explained, "I mean, the boys will probably pick Lily, they usually do," this was true, for 4 of the past 6 year they chose Lily, usually so that they could make her kiss James, or sit on his lap or something like that, like strapping her down and forcibly pouring Veritaserum down her throat then asking her a million times and a million ways if she liked/fancied/loved/was attracted to/enjoyed the company of/etc/etc James), "but I just think we should go a little different this year" Alice continued, "you know, pick someone they won't expect, cause they'll be expecting us to pick of the marauders. Besides it'll be fun trying to think of ways to humiliate Frank, seeing as none of us have ever done him before." This was apparently the wrong choice of words for the others three girls all started snickering and trying (unsuccessfully) to hold back laughing.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Alice said, partially frustrated with her friends' one-track, dirty minds.

Lily shrugged; she honestly didn't care who they picked, she was just praying that the boys didn't pick her; so the girls agreed to pick Frank.

It's well past curfew, and the teachers and prefects have long since given up wandering about the halls. Three dark figures are running through the seventh floor corridors, their hands full with various food items (having just visited the castle kitchen). The figures move at a surprisingly quick pace, and surprisingly gracefully, for a group of 17 yr old boys heavily bogged down by cakes and pies and such. They quicken as they approach their target. This is perhaps not the smartest move as they burst through the Gryffindor Common Room portrait hole at such a speed, and stop so suddenly after coming through, that very soon there is a large pile of boy and cakes lying on the floor of the Gryffindor Common Room, just in front of an appalled and slightly stunned (and half-asleep) Fat Lady. Luckily someone had the common sense to say (or shout) the Gryffindor password as the boys were approaching, so that none of them actually collided with the Fat Lady, but it being midnight and all, the Fat Lady began to open very slowly, only to be thrown open at the arrival of Remus, James and Sirius.

"Shall we begin?" Lily questioned the awkwardly-stacked marauders (well, three of them; Peter was never allowed to go on these types of excursions as he was not quick or agile enough) a smile spreading across her face, as she watched the three boys try to untangle themselves and pick up all their food.

"You know, if you boys wanted some alone time, we could just host this tournament tomorrow." Alex suggested, unsuccessfully attempting to keep a straight face. All of the boys went bright red and, unable to say anything in response, they all jumped up quickly and laid the food out in front of the girls and Peter, and took their places in the circle.

The lights in the Gryffindor Common Room were dimmed to almost off, the majority of the light in the room coming from candles, charmed to bob around the heads of the 7th years. Every Gryffindor except for Alice, Alex, Marissa, Lily, Gracie, Sirius, Remus, James, Frank, Daniel and Peter had already gone to bed. Some of the 5th and 6th years wanted to stay up to watch the Truth-or-Dare competition but James and his marauders always managed to 'convince' them not to stay (through a combination of sleeping spells, unbreakable lock charms and his general charisma and charm). Lily used to drag Emma along as well, but was just so unenthusiastic it was really no fun, so now it's just all the 7th Year Gryffindors, minus Emma.

James' original idea of how to decide who went first involved a complicated series of tasks and magically skill testing, but instead Lily suggested to him that they play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' (after first explaining what 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' was) as this was far less likely to result in injury. Sirius and Marissa were always the one to do the actually 'Rock, Paper, Scissor-ing', because they were the best at Occlumency, making it harder for the other person to try and find out what they were going to do.

The tension in the room rose steadily as Sirius and Marissa each leant forwards, hands outstretched, waiting for the go signal.

Scarlet and Gold sparks emanating from Lily's wand, filled the room, marking the official start of the 1977 7th Year Gryffindor All-Out Truth-or-Dare War.

The tension in the room rose rapidly.

Their hands bounced once.

Twice.

"Rock"

"Paper"

", ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, you lose, you lose, we win we win" James cried out in triumph as Marissa slumped back into her spot in the circle dejectedly, and Sirius rose cockily up and began slowly turning around and around, arms outstretched.

"Okay, okay, you guys won, can we get on with the game now?" Lily asked impatiently,

"I don't think it's up to you anymore when the game starts me dear Lillikins," James taunted,

"James." Lily growled warningly,

"Fine, fine, "

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN!" James shouted, popping a bottle of butterbeer stolen from the Kitchen and downing it in one go then placing it in the middle of the circle, hands poised,

"Spineth thy bottle my good man" Remus urged Sirius, and so he did.

The bottle span round and round, turning slower and slower, everyone agreed a couple years ago that the whole experience would be a lot more fun if they used as little magic as possible, so all of their wands were sitting in a little neat pile on the table next to them, because it's generally not the smartest idea when you're dealing with drunk, over-excited 17 yr olds to bring rowdy magic and random flying spells into the mix.

The bottle slowly came to a stop...in front of Marissa.

"Truth or Dare?" asked Sirius. It was an innocent enough question; 3 simple words, two choices, one answer; but combined with bored, over-achieving, hormone-crazed, alcohol-driven, magical teenagers; things could get pretty crazy.

"Dare." Marissa answered confidently.

And it had begun.

"Okay, I dare you to ..." Sirius looked around the room, trying to think of a good dare to get Marissa to do, Sirius raised his eyebrows and bent down to pick up one of the **five **bottles of Firewhisky on the floor in front of them, "drink this whole bottle in one go."

Sirius handed her the bottle and Marissa took it hesitantly.

"In one go?" She asked tentatively; Marissa had never been a big drinker, but she could hold her alcohol fairly well. Not many people handled a whole bottle of Firewhisky in one go very well though.

"In one go." Sirius repeated, staring her off and wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Marissa raised the bottle to her mouth, took a deep breath in, and threw her head back, the level in the bottle dropping with each passing gulp. Marissa managed to get the whole thing down pretty quickly in one go, but she sort of swayed a little giving the empty bottle back to Sirius.

"My turn!" she said, swallowing and scrunching up her face and holding a fist to her face to prevent a burp escaping.

Marissa spins the bottle much quicker than Sirius did so it takes longer to stop, but when it does it stops pointed at Gracie.

"Truth or Dare?" Marissa asked, her words slurring, already feeling the effect of the ¾ of a litre of Firewhisky that she just skulled.

"Truth?" Gracie replied. It was more of a question, Gracie never really liked dares but for the past couple years, if you picked 'truth' you were labelled a coward, but some of the dares had gotten pretty extravagant.

"Wuss." Lily whispered at her. Even Lily, who's dares were usually the worst (something along the lines of; sitting of James' lap for the whole game; flashing the boys; missing entire days of classes [which most people would love, but Lily [being the studious Head Girl that she is] hated) normally picked dare.

"Okay; would you rather: have sex every single night until you die?" she began, Gracie looking questioningly at her, "or eat a slice of chocolate cake every night until you die?"

"Every night?" Gracie asked,

"Every night." Marissa confirmed

"Does it have to be chocolate cake?" Gracie asked, she never was much of a chocolate enthusiast (and that was probably why she was so skinny)

"Yes."

"What if I don't have anyone to have sex with?" Gracie asked, cleary putting a lot of thought into the logistics of the questions as opposed to just answering it, "I mean, like, what if I'm not married, or don't have a boyfriend, or anything like that?"

"Do it with a random."

"What about –"

"Enough questions." Marissa cut her off, "Choose NOW."

"Can I alternate the days?" Gracie asked hesitantly,

"What do you mean?" Marissa asked, sounding confused.

"I mean, like, cake one night, sex the other." Gracie clarified, "so like, I could burn off the calories from the cake from last night with the sex of tomorrow and such."

"Fine, yeah, sure." Marissa agreed, "you can have sex one night, and chocolate cake the next."

"Okay my go!" Gracie said excitedly, picking up the bottle and spinning it clockwise.

The bottle stopped half-way between Frank and James; now in most games, you would try to pick which one it is closer to and just dare them, but in an All-Out Truth-or-Dare War, you dare both of them.

"Okay so Frank first." Gracie began, before glancing secretively back at her fellow girls, seemingly having a short, telepathic conversation, "Truth? Or dare?"

"Truth."

"If you had to have sex with someone here, right now, who would you pick?" Gracie posed to Frank, Frank immediately freezing up, "And it doesn't have to be a girl," Gracie added, "you know, if that's how you like it." She finished with a smirk.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..."

"Frankie" Gracie began sweetly, "CHOOSE NOW!"

"Ummmmmm, Alice?" He finally answered sheepishly, again, sounding more like a question.

Alice looked downed embarrassed and Frank was trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

"Oooh, why?" Gracie pressed on, completly ignoring how obviously uncomfortable Frank and Alice were.

"Umm, cause she's nice, and pretty and..." Frank answered nervously, Gracie nodded excitedly along with each reason

"Okay, this is getting awkward." Remus cut in, picking up the bottle and handing it to frank to spin.

"Thanks" Frank whispered to Remus.

"Hold on!" Lily reach out to stop Frank, "We still need to give James a dare."

James cursed and clicked angrily; "Dam"

"Come on Potter, I know you're normally a wuss, but can't you make an exception tonight? I was actually planning on having fun." Lily teased.

"Fine. Dare."

"Okay..." began Marissa,

"Hey Marissa, can I do this one? I have a great idea." Lily asked,

"Okay, but I get to do one of yours later." Marissa conditioned.

"Deal. Okay Potter. I dare you to go get your broomstick and fly around the castle five times." Lily told James,

"Pfftt, easy." James replied.

"Uh-ah" Lily warned, holding out a finger to stop James before her got up, "In your underwear," she finished.

"But it's like 5 degrees out" James protested,

"Not going to wuss out are you James?" Alice chided,

"Yeah, come one prongs, it'll be easy, just fly as fast as you can and you'll be back in no time" Sirius told his mate, getting up to fetch him broom, then bringing it over and handing it to him with a pat on the back.

Reluctantly, James walked over to the large window by the staircase, open it, squatted up on the ledge, broom in hand, and jumped out.

"Oh! And I'll know if you take any shortcuts!" Lily called out after him.

"Well, I guess it's my turn to spin the bottle, seeing as James is a little indisposed at the moment." Frank decided, picking up the bottle and spinning it, ultimately landing on...Alice.

A collective "OOooooooooh" ensued from everyone except Frank and Alice, who both looked a weird mix of petrified and embarrassed.

"Hey, I got his one mate," Sirius told Frank, "Alice: Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." Alice said, trying to avoid any awkward questions about Frank.

"Oooh, bad choice." Sirius told her, "I dare you, to give Frank... your underwear."

"WHAT?" Alice exclaimed, completely shocked,

"And not any old underwear from your draw, the underwear you're wearing right now." Sirius continued.

"No way." Alice refused,

"Now, now, you wouldn't want to get put in the box of shame now would you?" Sirius asked, indicating the large cardboard box sitting just left of the group.

Alice didn't say anything but simply got up, walked over behind the couch and proceeded to take off her underwear.

"Nobody look!" She commanded, but nobody really followed. Luckily she was wearing a skirt, so there was no pant-removing action, but her skirt was pretty short.

"Here you go," Alice said grudgingly, throwing her undies at Frank, and sitting back down.

"Good girl" Sirius said.

"My turn," Alice said dryly as she took the bottle and spun it, landing on Remus.

"Okay Remus, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I am not quite as mean as your dear friend Sirius here, so I will give you an easy dare. I dare you to spend the rest of the game blindfolded." Alice said, taking off her scarf, and proceeding to wrap it around Remus' head.

After this, people got a little drunker, and things started to get a little dirtier.

"Lily," Sirius said slowly, "I dare you, to kiss James. On the mouth. For at least 30 secs."

"Padfoot, what are you doing?" James asked Sirius, concerned, "if you do that she'll never like me!"

"Calm down prongs, if you don't kiss her soon you ain't gonna get her." Sirius told James, "Lily. Kiss James."

Sirius pushed James forwards towards Lily, and the two just sat there awkwardly for a couple seconds before James finally leant forwards; "Sorry", and pressed his lips against Lily's.

At first the kiss was mostly one sided, with half-drunken James taking full opportunity of his chance to finally kiss the love of his life, and Lily just sitting there; but at about the 26 second mark, a curious thing happened (or at least appeared to happen in terms of what the rest of the group thought they saw), Lily began to kiss back, this appeared to shock James as much as everybody else for he almost immediately withdrew.

Lily quickly turned away from James and picked up the bottle; "Okay, my turn."

She spun the bottle quickly, as James slowly staggered back to his seat, confused and overjoyed at having just kissed Lily.

The bottle slowed in front of Gracie, but Lily quickly muttered a quick spell under her breath, and the bottle speed up again and stopping completely in front of Sirius.

"Okay. My turn." Lily repeated, an almost menacing glare in her eyes.

"I dare you, Sirius Orion Black, to kiss...Remus"

Sirius', Remus', James' and Peter's jaws all dropped and just started at Lily.

"But, but" Sirius objected

"We're not gay." Remus finished,

"Oh, I know" Lily said, "I still want you to do it though. I'm not asking you two to have sex or anything, just a quick peck on the lips."

Sirius and Remus continued to sit there, blankly refusing.

"Seriously guys it's not that big of a deal," Marissa said, who was easily 5 times drunker than anybody else (probably because of the earlier Firewhisky-bottle-chugging-incident) , who then got up and walked over to Gracie (also pretty drunk) and planted one right on her lips, and then proceeded to snog her for several seconds, "See?" she finished, walking back over to her seat, leaving an indifferent Gracie, and four even more shocked (if that was physically possible) boys.

"Do it, do it, do it, do it" Marissa, Lily, Gracie, Alex and Alice all began chanting.

"Fine!" Sirius yelled, grabbing Remus and giving him the quickest kiss ever then slumping back into his seat.

"Happy?" he yelled angrily at Lily.

"Quite," she replied calmly.

Things continued to get weirder and weirder as everybody got drunker and drunker, and sillier and crazier. Marissa and Daniel decided to forgo actual participation in the Truth or Dare War and proceeded simply to snog for the entire rest of the night and Peter mysteriously disappeared around 3am.

Alice was dare to sit on Frank's lap for the rest of the night; James returned from his daredevil flight only to be dared to do a full nudie run through the great hall at breakfast the next day; Peter was asked who would win in a fight – A half unicorn, half lizard hybrid creature, or the giant squid for Hogwarts' Black Lake, he answered the Squid; Frank was dared to lick the carpet, Alex was dared to lick her foot, Gracie was dared to wear a toilet paper turban and Alice (who probably got some of the weirdest and craziest dares, and was subsequently crowned Queen of Truth or Dare) was dared to scale the side of the Gryffindor Tower, and it just went on, and on, and on.

The night finally wrapped up around 4.30am and everyone went to bed (with only 2 and a half hours til they needed to be up for classes) extremely drunk, tired and having had one of the most fun nights ever.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed reading that the next chapter should be up within a day or so cause I;ve actually already written it (well 95% of it), in fact i wrote it first, why's that i hear you asking? that's right it's...**

**SLUGHORN'S PARTY**

**what this stroy is all about, if you haven't read my other 'story' "Slughorn's Party" please do, ans that is what this is based off of, and that is what will be happening next chapter.**

**xx Mermer**

**Working on chap 6 now! If you're lucky I'll post by tonight (though probs not cause I'm going out to see Tom Gleeson at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival) but maybe after or early tomorrow? I will see, but soon!  
**

**Wow, I just re-read some of my previous chapters, major continuity issues! **  
**I mean what's up with Daniel, the supposed 6th 7th year Gryffindor boy who was suspiciously absent during this whole thing, did he just disappear?  
And what up with him and Marissa,? Did I ever acutally plan on resovling that mini cliff-hanger I brought in at the end of chapter 1?  
Oh well, please forgive my problems, Daniel has now reappeared, and will hopefully stay for a while. I will try to leave as few continuity mistakes as possible but no promises. (and I'm just gonna leave the Marissa/Daniel thing open for now, might fix it late, might not, let's just forget I ever wrote it k? If you have any good suggestions about what happened [if you don't know what I'm talking about go back and read the end of chap 1] post them in a review and I might write it in later)**


	6. One Big Mistake

Hey first of all, sorry bout the lines, don't know what happened. Second of all; quickest update ever I think! Go me! Third of all; Okay it's here, the time has finally come. Almost Everything that happened in my series of one-shots called 'Slughorn's Party' (which you should read now if you want to fully understand what happened, but is not necessary) happens tonight, except whatever I've changed in this chapter to the Lily/James section.

_Haven't i seen this somewhere before? Why yes, yes I have, in my story Slughorn's Party [aren't you just loving my shamless self-promotion?]. Oh, and Harry Potter._

**Slughorn's Party, need I say more?**

* * *

_Chapter Six – One Big Mistake_

One week, two days later and things had started to settle into their normal rhythm – food, class, more food, unreasonable amounts of homework, late nights in the 7th Year Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory gossiping about boys and dissecting the latest issues of Witch Weekly, and Quidditch. Life at Hogwarts seemed as usual as ever, and with Professor Slughorn's Slug Club Annual Start-of-Term Party coming up soon, things could only get better, right?

"Argh!" Lily exclaimed as she walked down to the dungeons with Alice and Marissa after lunch. Marissa didn't do potions but was going to the library to borrow out some books on jinxes and was walking part of the way there with Alice and Lily.

"What?" Alice asked, sounding like she knew what Lily was talking about but asked anyway.

"Potter's is in my potions class!" Lily complained.

"He's in all of your classes." Alice pointed out.

"Argh, don't remind me." Lily complained, clearly unaware of how bored her friends were with this conversation.

"So why are you upset the James is in this particular class?" Marissa asked dryly.

"Cause he's probably going to ask me out to Slughorn's Party." Lily explained.

"Wouldn't he have asked you in either of this morning's classes that you had together?" Marissa asked,

"I was avoiding him." Lily admitted,

"So can't you just avoid him again in Potions?" Alice asked,

"No. We're partners on the antidote project." Lily explained, "And I really don't want him to ask me."

"Why?" Alice asked, "Going with somebody else?"

"Nah, I just don't want to hurt his feelings" Lily answered.

"Or maybe you just aren't sure you would say no." Marissa proposed,

"No way! I would go with Potter, he's completely insufferable."

"Didn't look that way last week when you were kissing him." Marissa pointed out.

"Would you stop bringing that up?" Lily hissed angrily, "If was a dare, it meant nothing, and I did **not** like it."

"Mh-hm, sure," Alice dismissed, "but um, Lily," she continued, "one slight problem there."

"What's that?" Lily asked innocently,

"You've been talking about him for the past 5 hours!" Marissa cut in, Alice nodding in agreement.

"I have not!" Lily defended herself,

"You kinda have" Alice pointed out, "And no-one I know can both claim to hate a person as much as you say you hate James, and talk about him for five hours straight."

"I do not like James!" Lily yelled, causing I few student in the hallways to turn and look weirdly at the trio, "I do not like James." She repeated softer.

"Whatever." Marissa dismissed, turning away down the fourth floor corridor that lead to the Library, leaving Alice and Lily to descend to the dungeons.

"Ah! Nice to see you've made it in time!" Slughorn announced loudly to the girls as they entered, Lily looked around and saw that not many people had arrived yet.

"Must be something holding everybody back at lunch." Slughorn reasoned, "Well, we must be getting on, take you seats girls."

Lily took her seat at the front of the room but was grateful to see that James was not sitting in it. _Phew, at least I can avoid him asking me out for a few minutes. Alice and Marissa can't be right can they? I mean, surely I haven't been talking about Ja- Potter, all day, have I? I mean, I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I went with Ja- Potter, what am I talking about? It would be horrible! Would it? It would. Would it? It would. Would it?_

"Coming tonight are you?" Slughorn asked Lily, standing over her desk and breaking her out of her internal debate.

"Um, yeah." Lily answered shaking off what she had been thinking of before.

"Bringing a date?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her,

"Um, " Lily began, in truth she did not have a date, no one had asked her, but she didn't mind, she took it as an excellent opportunity to get in some extreme flirting time with Sam, the hunky 7th year Hufflepuff she had been crushing on for ages.

Slughorn was called away before Lily could answer, leaving her thought to fester with 'what if's about James, and Sam and the party.

* * *

"Argh! I have no clothes!" Lily exclaimed, throwing the majority of her wardrobe (which she had been rifling through for the past hour) on the floor.

"None at all?" Alex joked, "But you're wearing some now!"

"I meant none that I could wear to the party tonight." Lily clarified.

"You can borrow some of my clothes." Alice offered,

"Thanks! I know you guys are ready so you can just go on and I'll meet you there." Lily told her friend waving them off.

"Kay! See you there!" Marissa called to Lily as they walked down the stairs.

"Hey Alice!" Lily yelled down at them.

"Yeah?" she called back up,

"That shimmery blue dress of yours?"

"Yeah,"

"Can I wear that?" she asked

"Sure," Alice replied.

* * *

Lily was alone in the 7th year girls' dormitories frantically looking through draws and shelves, throwing various items on the floor in frustration and annoyance.

"Where is it?" Lily muttered as her head disappeared under her bed, arms stretched out in front of her wildly flailing and sweeping the ground. Grunting and admitting defeat Lily stood up and surveyed the room.

It looked like I bomb had gone off.

The beds were made and the doors intact, but you couldn't see the floor beneath the layer of assorted items strewn all across the carpet and all the doors of every cupboard, wardrobe and draw were open and the contents spilling out. The clock beside one of the five identically sheeted four-poster beds flashed 10:45.

"Shit!" Lily cried upon discovering the time.

A glimmer of slivery blue shone out from underneath a pile of curtains.

Aha!" Lily exclaimed in relief, "There it is!"

Lily got dressed as quickly as she could but even then it took her a good hour to get fully ready. The party started at 9 and Lily was already more than an hour and a half late.

* * *

The lights were out in most of the school. All was dark but for a few dimly lit corridors leading the way from each of the four house rooms up to the seventh floor corridor, opposite the tapestry of Barnabus and the Trolls.

Lily Evans walked hesitantly along a sixth floor corridor, not quite lost, but definitely unsure. She had walked this way many times before on her way to charms class (her favourite class) but it was approaching midnight and the castle had a habit of looking mysterious after dark. Lily turned left down a flight of stairs that lead all the way down to the dungeons.

"Lumos" she cried, voice shaking slightly as she said it.

As the tip of her wand lit up and spread across the stairwell, it became apparent that there was someone else standing on it. A boy, no more than 17, was standing leisurely against the banister, with apparently no intention of moving any time soon. This person remained unnoticed by Miss Lily Evans, who continued her attempt to locate the Room of Requirement.

"It's back the other way" the boy in the shadows said nonchalantly,

At the sound of his voice Lily immediately spun round to find none other than Remus Lupin, a 7th year Gryffindor, leaning casually against the stairs.

"Didn't you see the lights?" he asked, in a tone that clearly implied that he thought you would have to be stupid to not have noticed them,

"Umm… No" Lily responded tentatively, "To which lights exactly are you referring?"

"Those lights" Remus replied, matter-of-factly, pointing to the ceiling lights of the corridor Lily had just left.

"Oh," said Lily, just as she realised that the lights had been leading the way; lighting only those corridors which lead to the party. Lily had been thinking about James (something she wouldn't care to admit) while walking down the corridor and had turned off without really looking around. "Thanks," she said sounding rather defeated, Lily hated to be wrong.

"Going to Slughorn's party are you?" Remus asked as Lily began to make her way back up the stairs,

"Yes actually, I am" Lily responded very proudly. Lily was rather good at potions (second in the class behind Severus Snape) and liked being one of the special people who Slughorn thought worthy of being in 'The Slug Club', even if he did think it amazing she was such a good witch, despite being muggle born. Lily knew from Sev growing up that not everyone was as accepting of muggle borns as people like Dumbledore, but regardless, she took it all in stride. It helped a lot that she was great in all her classes and, disregarding the unfortunate blemish of her school timetable that is Transfiguration, an all-round impeccable witch.

"Say hi to James for me" Remus continued, "He'll be there waiting on you hand and foot." The last part was said with a smirk, and although she knew it was a joke (or at least partly a joke) Lily's face couldn't help but fall.

* * *

Lily, having finally found the way to her desired destination, reached the seventh floor corridor a little after quarter past twelve. Lily had only passed this corridor a few times, as it was out of the way of most of the classrooms, but she was sure she had never seen a room big enough to fit 30 or more students, not to mention food or a stage as Slughorn suggested. Nevertheless, Lily continued toward the tapestry of Barnabus and the Trolls, and upon reaching it stood in awe of the magnificent site before her. A grand marble archway, easily 15ft tall and nearly 10ft wide, opened onto a room about the size of the great hall, decorated in all four house colours. Banners of scarlet and gold, ribbons of silver and green, streamers of blue and bronze, and balloons of yellow and black, were everywhere you looked; long wooden tables simply packed with all sorts of exotic food lined the walls and a stage sat raised above the floor against the back wall. Strobing lights of red, yellow, orange, blue and green lit up the dance floor as the band played, and people ate, danced and socialised.

Lily spotted Alex and Gracie right away, Alex was off in the corner snogging her Hufflepuff boyfriend 'call me Mike', and Gracie was chatting up some Ravenclaw 6th year with red hair. Lily decided to just let her friends be for awhile, after all, you don't want to get in between Gracie and her younger guys or Alex and her boyfriend. Lily looked for Marissa (who, granted, was probably off with her boyfriend, Daniel) but she was nowhere to be found. Lily was hungry (having not eaten for over 5 hours) so she attempted to locate the food. It appears the room was laid out in sections; drinks, appetisers and light snacks were over to the left; and mains and dessert were to the right. After sufficiently filling herself up on actually-much-more-delicious-than-they-sound Dragon Tartar, she resumed her search for various people in the thoroughly packed ballroom.

Lily saw Sam lounging near the drinks table and made her way over. Lily had been crushing on Sam since 4th year but had never plucked up the courage to ask him out. He was alone so Lily decided that tonight would be the night that he finally noticed her. She had gone to Hogsmeade on the weekend with Alex and Gracie to pick out a dress and it took the whole day for all three of them to find the 'perfect' dress, shoes and handbag. Lily, personally, had tried on nearly 50 different dresses. It even took them nearly 5 hours, walking up and down Hogsmeade's Main Street just to decide which shop to go in first.

"Hey Sam!" Lily called over cheerfully,

"Oh Hey Lily!" he called back equally as cheerfully. Yes! Lily thought, this is the night!

"Hey Lily I wanted to ask you something" Sam said when Lily reached the drinks table,

"What is it? You can ask me anything, I'm sure the answer will be yes" Lily flirted unabashedly with him as she spoke, batting her eyelids and twirling her long red hair.

"I was wondering…" he began uncertainly

"Yes" she urged him on

"If you would think about…" He continued nervously,

"Yes, yes?" Lily urged, getting increasingly excited

"Oh hey there baby, what you been up to, I've missed you." Serena 'Man Stealer' Stevens was strutting over to Sam thrusting out her chest and swaying her hips. Serena had been after Sam for nearly as long as Lily had. She heard rumours that she'd got a new man but it couldn't be Sam, it just couldn't be.

"Hey Rena" Sam replied sexily,

_Oh Merlin! He's got a nickname for her, I'm screwed_.

Serena reached Sam and began snogging him with such passion it looked like they were about to hook up right there and then.

After about 10 mins of standing there in an odd mix of shock and awkwardness Lily was about to walk away when they finally broke apart.

"Did you want something?" Serena asked coolly,

"Er… I'm I was just, going to…" Lily began, very embarrassed.

"Aww, how cute Sammy, I think she wanted to ask you out. Like she had a chance"

Lily turned away her eyes beginning to well up,

"Lily, wait up! I still have to ask you something." Sam called after her.

"What?" Lily asked,

"Will you tutor me in charms?"

"Seriously?" Lily clarified, "That's what you wanted to ask me" she said, clearly hurt,

"Yeah, why? You didn't think I wanted to, oh Lily, you're great and everything, but I need a girl who's just a little more mature, and, a little more experienced," Sam winked, "If you know what I mean." He then turned back to Serena and started leading her away, probably off to a broom closet somewhere.

* * *

After that little fiasco Lily wasn't really in the mood for any more boy-drama, she'd had a few boyfriends; Frank in 4th year (before he started dating Alice); Daniel in 5th year (before he started dating Marissa); she even dated Sirius Black for a while last year, and an amazing kissing as he was, it just didn't work out, just like the rest of them, just like Sam. Lily was in the mood for a guy-drama free night of partying, food and general social mingling. Unfortunately for her, waiting by the drinks table with a tray of assorted dips was the far-too-good-looking-for-his-own-good-but-still-avoid-at-all-costs James Potter. Lily turned to move away but it was too late.

"Lily!"

Dam! Lily thought

"Hey Lily wait up!" James Potter was now following her as she attempted to weave her way through the crowd.

"Lily, wait up!"

"What?" Lily cried as she stopped and turned to face James as she always ended up doing.

Apparently James had not expected her concede to his pursuit quite so quickly as so was rather surprised at her sudden halt and as a result found himself colliding with her and covering her with the dips spilling them all down her dress and in her hair.

"Oh Sweet Merlin Lily I am so sorry!"

"JAMES!"

"Lily what happened?" Alex had apparently stopped snogging her boyfriend for long enough realise the Lily was now covered in pink, green and orange goo. "Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding!"

"Lily please calm down"

"Calm down? Calm down? I'm wearing our appetizers! And you expect me to calm down? Oh I'm going to murder you James Potter!"

"Lily it wasn't his fault" Alex cut in while attempting to stop Lily from lunging at James.

"Not his fault? Not his fault? Of course it was his fault!"

"But he said he's sorry!"

"So sorry Lily, I am soooooooooo sorry!"

"I don't want to hear it James" Lily said on the verge of tears

"It's only a bit of dip" James said with a laugh,

"Only a bit of dip?" Lily says as she slowly approaches James, "Only a bit of dip? Do you have any idea how much this dress costs? It's not even mine! Or how long it took me to put on my make-up?" Lily cried tears beginning to spill from her eyes. "No James, this is so much more than 'only a bit of dip', this, this, is the final straw." Lily said backing away and turning to run out of the room crying.

* * *

Lily sat against the bathroom wall hugging her knees and crying silently. Why oh why did James anger her so? She knew he liked her, and she was starting to think she liked him too. She found herself smiling whenever he was around and every time she yelled at him she felt so guilty afterwards.

_After what happened tonight he'll never like me again, how could he? I was so mean to him._

The sound of approaching footsteps broke Lily away from her thoughts.

"Gracie?" Lily asked the seemingly empty hallway outside the Girls' Bathroom.

"No Lily, it's me." Came a strong, male voice from the doorway.

"James?" Lily asked, surprised as the handsome figure stepped out into the light, "What are you doing here?" Lily was so surprised, and relieved, to see him. _So he doesn't hate me!_

"I am so sorry" James said, crossing the floor to where Lily sat and sitting down next to her.

"I know," Lily replied.

"Can you ever forgive me?" He asked hopefully.

"I don't know James, I honestly don't know." Lily said shaking her head. "I like you James; I do, but it just so hard! I see you smiling and I think: maybe this time I'll say yes; but then you inevitably do something completely stupid and it's back to square one."

"I like you too Lily, a lot. I mean a lot a lot. I really, really like you." James says as he slowly leans in, their lips moving closer and closer together with every passing breath. And then he was kissing her, and she didn't pull back. A million thoughts were running through her head but all she could do was kiss him back.

* * *

***Gasp* They kissed! (well, they kissed last chapter as well, but that was a dare) what now? well, honestly; i don't know. cause i haven't actually written any of it yet. **

**Probs won't update for a few days, but will defs try to get the next chap (and maybe even the one after that if I'm uncharacteristically productive) by the end of next week (i know, so long, but i do have actual homwork as well, essays and stuff, as well I'm going on holidays)**

**xx Mermer**


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